| Author (Corporate) | Trades Union Congress |
|---|---|
| Publisher | TUC |
| Publication Date | April 2016 |
| Content Type | Report |
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Leaving the EU could put millions of people in the United Kingdom at increased risk of accidents or injuries in the workplace, said a TUC report published on the 28 April 2016 to coincide with International Workers’ Memorial Day. EU Membership and Health & Safety found that EU legislation had helped stop illnesses and injuries at work, and saved lives. Much of the health & safety law in the UK was now underpinned by the EU, said the report. Almost two-thirds (63%) of new British health & safety regulations introduced between 1997-2009 originated in Europe (41 out of 65 laws). These new safety rules have contributed to a reduction in workplace fatalities in the UK. In 1992 there were 368 worker fatalities in Britain; this dropped to 142 in 2015. Over this period, the rate of deaths fell from 1.5 to 0.46 per 100,000 workers. The report noted a several areas where EU law has had a significant impact: • The EU forced the UK to strengthen safety rules in construction – one of the most dangerous industries. If the UK voted to leave the EU, the government would be able to decide whether or not to keep protections derived from EU laws. There was no guarantee that they would keep health & safety legislation at its current level. In fact the UK government had indicated it wanted to reduce this so-called ‘red tape’ of EU protection. |
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| Source Link | https://www.tuc.org.uk/sites/default/files/EU_Health_Safety_Report.pdf |
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| Subject Categories | Business and Industry, Politics and International Relations |
| Countries / Regions | United Kingdom |
